The Dangerous Substances in Harbour Areas Regulations 1987

Marking of barges

11.—(1) The operator of a barge which is carrying 3,000 kilograms or more of one or more dangerous substances, or in the case of a tank barge any quantity of a dangerous substance, shall ensure that it displays hazard warning panels which shall be arranged so as to be visible on each side of the barge and each such panel shall–

(a) be weather resistant and durably marked so as to comply with the provisions of Schedule 5 (which relates to the required form, colour, information and specification);

(b) be either rigid or fixed so as to be rigid;

(c) be marked on or securely attached to the barge in a substantially vertical plane and if that means of attachment is by a frame that frame shall carry no other hazard warning panel; and

(d) have its lower edge at least one metre above the deck or if that is not reasonably practicable as high above the deck as is reasonably practicable.

(2) In addition to complying with paragraph (1), where a tank barge is carrying different dangerous substances in separate tanks, the operator of that tank barge shall ensure that each tank which contains a dangerous substance displays two labels which shall–

(a) be weather resistant and durably marked on one side only so as to comply with the provisions of Schedule 5;

(b) be marked on or securely attached to the outside of the tank, or on a frame immediately above the tank, in a substantially vertical plane so that there is a label visible on each side of the barge; and

(c) have their centres as close as is reasonably practicable to a position midway between the front and rear of the tank in which the dangerous substance to which the labels relate is being carried.

(3) Where one or more dangerous substances have been carried and all tanks and compartments have been emptied and cleaned or purged so that any dangerous substance or its vapour which remains is not sufficient to create a risk to the health or safety of any person, then the operator shall ensure that the hazard warning panels and labels are either–

(a) completely covered or completely removed; or

(b) in the case of hazard warning panels only, partly covered or partly removed so as to leave visible only the telephone number and the text referred to in paragraph 3(c) and (d) of Schedule 5 respectively.

(4) Where two or more dangerous substances have been carried and the tanks or compartments which were carrying one of them have been emptied and cleaned or purged so that any of the dangerous substance or its vapour which remains is not sufficient to create a risk to the health or safety of any person, then the operator shall ensure that–

(a) the labels referring to the substance which has been removed are complerely covered or complerely removed; and

(b) the hazard warning panels are changed, if necessary, so as to comply with paragraph 3 of Schedule 5.